Certification Title Name Change of RRA to RHIA and ART to RHIT

Background Information

Throughout its history, AHIMA has responded to industry dynamics with
corresponding changes to its name and certification titles. The Association
of Record Librarians of North America became the American Association
of Medical Record Librarians. The Registered Record Librarian (RRL) evolved
into the Registered Record Administrator (RRA).

AHIMA is again at such a juncture. Based on multiple years of research
and evaluation, the titles moving forward are:

Rationale

Since the Association changed its name in 1991 from the American Medical
Record Association (AMRA) to the American Health Information Management
Association (AHIMA), members and volunteer leaders have expressed concern
over the lack of consistency between the organization's new name and its
certification titles. AHIMA's Board of Directors formally addressed this
issue through a Vision 2006 action item that called for reevaluation of
current credential titles.

In October 1997, this evaluation progressed with the hiring of a naming
consultant, who reviewed more than 1000 possible certification titles.
Selecting the most applicable, Board members and staff discussed a variety
of potential titles with volunteer leaders at 1998 Team Talks and the
1998 House of Delegates. Key steps in this evaluation process were issue
forums at the 1998 House, where delegates considered both the advantages
and disadvantages of changing titles. Although opinions varied, several
overriding reasons in favor of changing titles came forward:

current credentials do not accurately reflect what HIM professionals
do in today's workplace

more contemporary titles are needed

certification names are not in sync with the Association name

the timing is right as HIM professionals move into new areas

Market research was conducted with CIOs, COOs, CFOs, and human resources
professionalsgroups that represent "employers" for the
HIM profession overall. Participants in these focus groups consistently
said that the current titles were inaccurate in representing the skill
sets and roles of today's HIM professionals. The current "RRA"
and "ART" titles were thought to imply paper records. Participants
also stated these titles seem out of date, are difficult to understand,
and sound limiting in their description of the work performed. These employers
consistently said that certification titles should be changed. They specifically
stated that the use of "health information" in certification
titles seemed more compatible with the current direction of both the profession
and the industry.

The titles Registered Health Information Administrator and Registered
Health Information Technician were selected as new credential titles for
the following reasons:

"Registered"

Feedback from the focus groups, which included employer representatives,
strongly supported the importance of modifiers such as "registered"
or "certified"they serve as immediate validations of professional
skills. "Registered" was chosen as the most appropriate designation
for overall professional HIM certifications. "Accredited" was
not used because it is more often applied to an institution, rather than
an individual. "Certified" will continue to be used for competencies
in specialty areas, such as coding.

"Health Information"

This phrase accurately describes the domain of the profession's knowledge
and expertise, which in recent years has expanded in scope well beyond
the medical record. "Health information" also provides an updated
and consistent link to the Association's name. The Board Strategy Team
omitted the word "management" because the market research revealed
that it simply made the titles too long in the view of employers and members
alike.

"Administrator" and "Technician"

These familiar terms lend a sense of continuity to the new titles. The
term "Manager" was initially considered in place of "Administrator,"
but again, market research did not support its use. Focus group participants
perceived "manager" more as a job title implying employee supervision
rather than a description of a particular skill set.

Resolution

Topic: Certification Title Name Change of RRA to RHIA and ART
to RHIT

Intent: Change Current Certification Titles for RRA and ART

Addressed To: 1999 House of Delegates

Originators: AHIMA Board of Directors Council on Certification

Approved by: 1999 House of Delegates

Date: October 3, 1999

Whereas, throughout its history, AHIMA has responded to industry dynamics
with corresponding changes to its name and certification titles;

Whereas, since the Association changed its name in 1991 from the American
Medical Record Association (AMRA) to the American Health Information Management
Association (AHIMA), members and volunteer leaders have expressed concern
over the lack of consistency between the organization's new name and its
certification titles;

Whereas, market research supports that the current titles are inaccurate
in representing the skill sets and roles of today's HIM professionals;

Whereas, the use of "health information" in certification titles
is more compatible with the current direction of both the profession and
the industry;

Whereas, the term "registered" serves as a validation of professional
skills for both administrator and technician practice;

Whereas, the phrase "health information" accurately describes the domain of the professional's knowledge and expertise, which in recent years has expanded
in scope well beyond the medical record;

Whereas, the phrase "health information" provides an updated
and consistent link to the Association's name;

Whereas, the terms "administrator" and "technician"
are consistent with domains of health information practice.

Resolved, that the certification title for Registered Record Administrator
(RRA) be changed to Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA)
and that the certification title for Accredited Record Technician (ART)
be changed to Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT), both effective
January 1, 2000.

Article Citation:

"Certification Title Name Change of RRA to RHIA and ART to RHIT."
Journal of AHIMA 71, no. 1 (2000), insert after p.24.